Finding the right opportunities has become increasingly difficult, especially with the intense competition in today’s job market. Many platforms attempt to meet the needs of students seeking internships, jobs, and other professional development options, but they often fall short in accessibility and organization. At Berea College, students and alumni frequently share career-related opportunities with one another; however, the formats and tools available for doing so are limited. 

Our CS Berea Slack is a centralized platform for staying connected and learning about departmental activities. There are different channels to help categorize the content, one of which is jobs_internships_prof_dev - channel topic described as: "Learn about internships, consulting, career exploration, part-time and full-time post-graduate opportunities. $$, Experience, Networking, and Dream-chasing."

The general topic area of my project is on improving the accessibility of information within the jobs_internships_prof_dev channel. Currently, there is the only place to find opportunities shared within our Berea College community.
My target population is current computer science students who use this channel to find opportunities such as internships, jobs, career events, and professional development resources, but often lack the time to scroll through numerous posts. Addressing this problem is important because opportunities with deadlines frequently get buried as new messages appear, and posts automatically disappear after 90 days. Students who aren’t constantly checking Slack miss out on valuable chances simply due to poor visibility and limited filtering options. Constraints include working within Slack’s existing design limitations, the temporary nature of message history, and the diverse needs of students seeking different types of opportunities.

Highlights

•  Filtering and sorting tools (LinkedIn, Handshake, Notion)

  • Make it easier to quickly find opportunities that match a student’s interests

• Tagging and categorization systems (ColorStack, Notion, Trello)

  • Create structure, reduce noise, and help users navigate large amounts of content

• Personalized recommendations and notifications (LinkedIn, Handshake)

  • Help users stay aware of deadlines without constantly checking the platform.

• Community-based communication (Slack)

  • gives a trusted, student-centric environment that outside platforms can’t replicate

Limitations

• No system combines Slack’s community feel with strong organizational tools

• ColorStack opportunities page is exclusive for their members

• Notion / Trello offer great organization but aren't practical for this case

• Handshake and major job boards lack the authenticity of Slack’s CS community

  • These platforms feel more formal and can be overwhelming

  • They focus primarily on traditional job and internship listings, excluding other opportunities typically shared in the Slack channel like fellowships, scholarships, conference deadlines, hackathons, research programs, etc.

Takeaway 

These alternatives fail to support the “lifting each other up” culture that characterizes Berea’s jobs_internships_prof_dev channel. There is an opportunity for a combination of these solutions that does not currently exist. 

• A persistent, searchable, organized archive of opportunities

• Automatic tagging and filtering of Slack posts (internships, jobs, scholarships, events)

• Deadline tracking and reminders integrated with Slack

• A weekly digest that summarizes all opportunities for busy students

• A tool tailored specifically to Berea CS students, not a broad job-seeking population

Findings 

Below are notes on what the participants communicated about three different sections: the layout for displaying multiple opportunities on the same page, the detailed view of a selected opportunity, and the location of data management options. 

Displaying multiple opportunities on the same page
Vertical Scroll: 

• Not very well liked 

  • Easy for the user to lose their place

  • Feels exhausting to scroll through

List View:

• Best liked

  • Quick and easy browse

  • Tags are very important

  • Suggestion: include key deadlines directly in the default display so they are always visible and can be filtered or sorted

Card View:

• Also very well liked - as long as cards aren't too big

• Main concern: displaying too many cards at once could feel overwhelming

Detailed view of selected opportunity

• Split Screen: most disliked - not enough space to view content on either side

• Popup Window: very well received - allows users to keep their place without being taken to another page 

• New suggestion: Accordion View - one participant stated this as a simple way to present everything the user would want to know on one page. Some agreed, others worried it could make the page feel too long 

Data Management (Filtering/Tags/Sorting)

• Horizontal Filter Bar vs. Vertical Filter Panel:
  No strong preference for either layout. However, participants agreed that it should be out of the way - consider collapsible or closable components.

Analysis 

By giving participants direct influence over the design, I was able to confirm several uncertainties I previously had and uncover new insights based on their feedback. One of the most significant findings was the strong division between preferences for the List View and the Card View. Participants on both sides expressed clear and compelling opinions, with neither option emerging as a definitive favorite. Because of this, I plan to offer both viewing options so users can choose the format that best suits their needs at the moment.

After gathering feedback from participants, I translated it into a series of low-fidelity sketches that allowed me to explore layout, navigation, and information hierarchy.

To validate my design decisions and test the clarity of the user flows, I conducted a cognitive walkthrough using my Figma prototype. I selected a fellow CS student who fits within my target user group and asked them to complete each of the three core tasks with no guidance. My goal was to identify moments of confusion, hesitation, or inefficiency.

Process
The participant navigated the prototype independently, completing the tasks in sequence. I observed quietly, taking note of where the design supported intuitive behavior and where improvements were needed.

Results

1. Filtering and Saving an Opportunity:
   The participant immediately looked to the top-right corner to switch from list to card view - exactly where I had placed the toggle. This reassured me that the view-switching mechanism felt natural to first-time users. The rest of the task was completed smoothly, showing that the overall structure felt familiar and easy to navigate.

2. Marking a Saved Opportunity as Completed:
   This task was also completed without difficulty. The participant quickly located the “Saved Opportunities” tab and marked the item as done. However, they asked what happens to opportunities after they are marked as completed, noting that users may want to revisit items later.
   Based on this feedback, I added a subtle gray “Completed” button below the navigation bar, allowing users to easily access previously completed opportunities.

3. Posting a New Opportunity:
   The final task was completed successfully, with no confusion. However, it made me realize a point of improvement in the future: adding a post-management section where users can view or edit opportunities they’ve personally submitted.